


The Lakehouse

by Anon2339



Series: Shiro and the Troubles of Parenting [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: But not in space, Long Hunk-centric chapter to come soon, Pidge is a girl so I will use she/her, Space Dad, chapter length varies because I'm indecisive and can't fulfil my own promises, guess who has a lake house, he's still space dad tho, it's Allura, the space squad uses it though
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-20
Updated: 2017-03-07
Packaged: 2018-09-25 20:23:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9842369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anon2339/pseuds/Anon2339
Summary: The squad goes to the lake house for a weekend get away. Lance has a sad time because his swing is dead. Keith is a daddy's boy and helps cut up Lance's friend. Hunk is a babe. Pidge is absent for the most part because she dislikes having no wifi.





	1. They arrive and Lance cries

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first part of a lake house series because Lance needs a place to relax after season two. Let my son have his water.

The old lake house had become something of the family’s vacation spot. Whenever Shiro had reached a break in his work he would pack up the car, round up the kids, and rip across the country to the house.

Allura had told him he was welcome anytime after her father passed and nobody was living at the house anymore. Actually, she had told him it was okay even before the house was empty. She practically begged him to use the wooden lodge with direct lake access and a swing in the yard.

Lance loved it. He loved swimming in the shallow water near the shore and feeling fish nibble his toes when he stayed still. He loved watching the sunset on the water as it turned everything shades of red, orange, violet, and pink. He loved eating watermelon and having water balloon fights with Hunk and Pidge (and Keith). He loved everything that the house had to offer, every memory and future. So, he was noticeably heartbroken when he saw the old tree out back had fallen down, crushing the dock and downing his swing.

He blamed Keith.

Shiro called in to the city to ask for tree removal when he was done cutting up and taking what he could use for wood. After setting everything inside and asserting no damage was done, he pulled out the old chainsaw and set to work. Lance may have cried when he saw the first deep gash, Pidge may have cheered at seeing the object of her hate torn up. Keith may have been helping clear leaves because he’s a daddy’s boy to Shiro and always tries to help. Hunk was certainly organizing and folding his clothes so he didn’t have to deal with that mess.

“I miss the swing,” Lance said around the (new) campfire that night. He wore a dejected face and was roasting a perfect marshmallow.

Hunk licked his lips after eating his second s’more, “Well, now we can have fires every night. So, i think it’s a good trade: swing for s’mores.” Lance was not moved by the sentimentality. His marshmallow was now a puffy ball of fire. His eyes looked sad and tired as he blew out the fire and took a sorrowful bite of his charred food. Everybody cringed at him eating the thing.

“Here, have mine,” Keith handed over his slightly undercooked s’more. It didn’t have any chocolate because of his lactose intolerance but it was still a heartwarming offer. Lance took it, bit into it, and smiled.

A few more bites and he was good as new. He didn’t say thank you but it was implied in the nod he gave. Keith returned no response.


	2. The Surprise Gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allura turns up at the house with a surprise, what will the squad think?

The house was still dark when Allura arrived. She made no sound when opening the door and stealthily crept to her room. Quiet snoring could be heard from the room and she cracked open the door to see a scarred arm flung over deep grey eyes. The only sign of life was the occasional rumble of snores.

Allura chuckled and set down her bag before lunging onto the bed. The sleeping man was startled awake by the sudden weight on him and gave a not-so-manly screech of fear. Allura was rolling on the bed, tangling her long, white hair with every tumble because she was laughing so hard.  
‘Oh my- Shiro you screamed so loud an-and then the look on your face was just-” She couldn’t finish her sentences with the laughter bubbling out of her like a fizzy Coke.

When Shiro finally calmed his heart, he turned accusing eyes on his best friend. “Allura, that was not cool or fair,” his steely tone had some give to it and the smile in his face was evidence of his amusement. He was about to push Allura off the bed when four more (tiny) bodies slammed into him.

“Allura when’d you get in?”

“Did you bring anything back for us?”

“Did you make breakfast”

“Allura’s back!” Shouted one blue eyed child, his smile practically splitting his face. He stumbled across the large bed to hug said person and continued shouting, “Did you miss me, ‘Llura, did ya?”

More shouts and ruckus came from the children until Shiro finally had to plug his ears and yell, “Everybody settle down!” That quieted the kids who normally never saw their dad raise his voice at them.

“Thank you,” Allura said as she sit herself up at last and took a breath. Right when everyone thought she was going to speak she rolled off the bed and ran across the house.

A couple seconds later and the family was hunting her down like hounds. They found her out back waiting for them with a white sheet over some huge structure. There wasn’t a hair out of place on her, but the others weren’t so fortunate, all were having bed head worse than a blind barber.

Pidge wobbled over to Allura’s leg and latched on. She sleepily said, “Now don’t run away again, it’s too early for that.” She then nuzzled her half-awake self against the leg and nearly fell asleep again. The sleepy child was shaken awake and forced to listen as Allura announced her gift.

“Under this sheet, I have something that I think all of us will agree is useful. Hunk will love using it (with the supervision of adults), Pidge will love hiding in it (when it’s not in use), Keith will love the colors and watching it, Lance will love what it does, and you, Shiro, will love having it.” All eyes were tuned in to the mysterious covered thing now. With bated breath Allura tugged on a corner of the sheet and revealed…..

An outdoor oven. It was made of deep red bricks, had a small cubby hole for wood (god knows that had a lot of wood now), and sitting in the centre was a basket of pizza essentials. The kids erupted with screams of joy and were all over it in seconds. Hunk was inspecting the inside and basket with a critic's eye while the others were naming off all the toppings they wanted on their pizzas and how big to make them. Shiro just locked eyes with his smiling friend and gave a gracious smile. Before he knew it he was swept up in a hug and laughing as he hugged back.

Allura knew just what the cabin needed after losing such a sentimentality as the tree. How she built the whole thing without them knowing was a secret for another time but what mattered was that the oven was there.

That night, there was a lot of pizza eaten. A lot. Hunk made all the crusts and put on toppings while Shiro fired them. There was a debate over whether pineapple was a viable topping or not (Yes, Pidge, pineapple is a topping and it will be on this pizza). Overall, the mood was much better thanks to Allura’s surprise visit and gift.


	3. Hiking :)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The squad goes on a hike, some mishaps occur and Pidge complains. A lot.

Camping. Why camping? They have a good, food filled, internet secured, heated and air conditioned house they could use.

But no, Shiro says “Let’s go camping Saturday” and everyone has to.

Pidge’s thoughts get more and more sour as she walks over another rock. She grumbles a bit when she accidentally steps in a puddle left from the rain last night. Her wet sock mocked her every move for the rest of the hike.

Keith was having a field day. Hiking, leading everyone on a trail only he could see, listening to Lance mutter and groan at not being in front; yup, he was having fun. His red shirt was cut just above his bellybutton and his little stomach peaked out whenever he reached up to grab a branch or jumped down from a higher ledge. On the contrary, he was wearing black leggings and boots that had to make his feet sweat more than an eskimo in the Savanna. Pidge has second thoughts on what she stepped in being pure water now.

Hunk lagged behind a bit so Pidge slowed down to walk next to him. She didn’t like all this mountaineering bs, just do some VR and be done with it.

“Hey dude, mind if I walk with you?” Pidge asked in the sly way a fox might ask a bunny to dinner. Hunk didn’t notice, just nodded his head. A bee flew past them and Pidge squirmed a bit, she disliked bees. Bees never did anything to hurt her and she knows that but she still can't help getting antsy when one of those fat stingers bumbles by on the way to a flower or to the hive.

Hunk started walking a bit faster and Pidge snapped out of her daze when he grabbed her hand to pull her forward: they were finally at a clearing. It had a small stream running from the west side to the southeast side and there was a tiny pit already dug out for a fire. Some deer skirted the edges of the sunlit area but when Lance sprinted to the stream they were spooked off. Hunk was slightly saddened by that.

Nevertheless, Shiro undid his backpack and pulled out the tent he had packed up and had everyone help set it up. Lance got to pound in the stakes with Hunk while Keith, Pidge, and Shiro held on to and in place the different sections that still weren't staked down. Once that was set up, Shiro tasked his kids with different (meaningless) jobs and then walked into the woods to gather branches, taking Hunk to help carry. Lance was told to get water a bucket of water and find some rocks for the fire, Keith told to build the actual fire with said rocks and the wood once Shiro and Hunk got back, and Pidge was told to set up the inside of the tent.

Keith liked to sleep a certain way so he helped Pidge while waiting. They didn't talk much except when Pidge wanted to move something Keith was sitting on. It was nice.

Eventually though, Pidge stopped fluffing pillows and adjusting sleeping bags. She just stopped everything and looked around like she was suddenly on a different planet. It was spooky.

"Hey, Pidge, little sis," Keith tried to get her attention. Apparently those were the wrong words to use. She fell down onto her green Power Rangers bag and started those pre-crying sniffles that Keith is so uncomfortable with. He tried coming closer to her, setting a hand on her head in the comforting way Shiro usually does to him. But she shrugged it off, shoulders shaking now.

"We used to go camping in our backyard all the time," Pidge spoke. "Matt would set up the tent and I'd bring out all the snacks and we would spend the night watching the stars and talking. Sometimes dad would join us. Sometimes Mom would. Sometimes we would cram everyone and the cat into the tent and just talk. I miss them so much, Keith." Her frail voice seemed like sadness itself was speaking.

Keith couldn't handle this. It was so far out his league. General memories of the old family? He could do that. Missing the old family so much and wanting to crawl back in time to them? No, that was asking too much.

So, he did the one thing he knew how to do: got someone who could help.

\-----

“LANCE!” Keith screams. His brother nearly falls and spills his pail of water at the startling noise. Keith grabs him by his shoulders and shakes him until there’s water spilling over the edges of the shaking bucket. “Lance, Pidge is crying in the tent about her family. Please help her. I don’t know how to deal with this kind of stuff.”

Lance get a look of absolute determination on his face upon hearing those words. He set down the water carefully near the fire then marched into the tent, dragging an unwilling Keith with him.

The moment he steps inside, his entire expression changes. The set of his little jaw turns into a tentative smile and his eyes crinkle just a bit at the edges. He’s calmer, more comforting, like a momma cat soothing her mewling cub. Ignoring the mess of pillows and blankets, Lance crawls over to where his little sister has wrapped herself up in a sleeping bag. Instead of unwrapping her like Keith would have done, Lance furls his arms around her shaking form and starts saying quiet, soothing words.

Almost as if she’s in a trance, Pidge wriggles out of the bag and sits in her older brother’s lap. He put his head over hers, making her nearly invisible to anyone not looking.

“It’s okay Pidgey, we all miss our families. I can’t tell you how many times I want to just run into my momma’s arms and shout ‘Group hug’ like I used to.” He sighs, this is something he’s thought often about. “But if I did that, I never would have you, or Hunk, or… Keith as my siblings. I never would have met Shiro and Allura and Coran. I never would have gotten to go on this hike or see the mountains in Arizona. I never would have gone to all the places we’ve been or felt all the things I have.”

Pidge looks up. Tears have made her eyes puffy and red, snot dried under her nose, hair mussed. She looked like a little kid. She is a little kid.

“I love my old family. It’s hard to forget them, especially Papa and his funny faces. But, my family now, with all of you, I love too. I’m happy being your brother, Pidge, and I can’t replace matt. Just like you can’t replace Julia,” His voice quavers on the name of his dead sister. “Are you happy with me as your brother?”

Pidge’s eyes widen just a fraction before her arms are thrown around Lance’s neck and she’s hugging him like her life depends on his, like her sanity depends on it.

“Of course I love you, too! And I love being your sister! I love this hunk and Shiro and everyone else too…” Her shouting evens out and she pauses. “And I love my old family. I want them back but I don’t want to lose you either. I want all of my family.”

Lance nods and squeezes her one more time before getting up. “C’mon, I think Shiro and Hunk are back from getting wood. Maybe we can tell stories at the fire.” Keith feels awkward standing in the same area after witnessing such a bonding experience between them. Not that he hasn’t had one with either of them yet, but it’s just awkward.


	4. The moon, the stars, and the girl who dances with them

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guess what? Our little baby girl likes to dance and she loves the stars.
> 
> What does that mean? It means she's amazing.

“What do you think is out there?” Pidge asked in a small voice, she was looking at the stars with awe.

Shiro turned his head to look at her amazed face, “I don’t know, kiddo. Maybe you’ll find out someday.”

Pidge squealed and jumped up, landing on Shiro’s prosthetic arm and stumbling a bit. He sat up to steady her as she ran to the centre of the clearing. He worried her squalling would awake Lance and Hunk who had gone to sleep just a couple minutes ago. But she stopped her noises when she got to her destination.

Instead, she looked up at the stars and a cool calmness seemed to envelope her, her hands stretching up and caressing the stars, feet spreading as if she was about to launch herself across the sky, eyes closed and fluttering with the effort not to look. She was so concentrated, Shiro didn’t dare to interrupt her.

Suddenly, her foot swept out in an arc across the grass, toes pointed and leg straight. Her arms came down to her neck and pulled her hair into tendrils like water. Movements more fluid than anything Shiro had seen before guided his daughter around the clearing of their backyard, he knew she danced with the moon but this was… something entirely different. She wasn’t a person dancing on the Earth with stars watching from above. No, she was in the stars; her partner was the Andromeda, the tune she danced to was sung by the cosmos with a backbeat by supernovas.

Allura has definitely been teaching Pidge her family’s dances.

She finished off with a bow and Shiro quietly clapped and stood to hug her. She had a bright smile on her face and hugs him back with her two little arms. Shiro would have to brag about this to Allura, and thank her, but mostly brag. And maybe not tell Lance and Keith, else they might turn it into a competition.


End file.
